MEET OUR THERAPISTS
Isabel Acevedo, MA LCPC
Isabel Acevedo, LCPC has returned to BYFS as a Bilingual Clinical Therapist. She has experience as a therapist in a wide variety of settings and has been working in the field since 2012. She likes to help her clients reach their full potential and likes to develop strong theraputic rapport with her clients to ensure that they feel safe and understood. She likes to help her clients challenge their unproductive beliefs and limiting behaviors by helping them discover their self-worth.
She has a wide range of experience in trauma and the effects of abuse. She has five years worth of group counseling experience and has also worked in an inpatient hospital setting for a few years. Isabel has worked with a large range of issues and is fluent in Spanish and bicultural. She is currently a University Professor, teaching psychology courses. Isabel looks forward to working with you and helping you be in a better place emotionally.
Richard Cornwall, LCSW
Richard Cornwall, LCSW is a knowledgeable and experienced mental health therapist who works to promote emotional wellness through encouragement and support. He has years of varied experience working with adults, adolescents and children. His experience allows him to advocate for individuals and families by providing them with resources to support their overall well-being. He has had much success using narrative, music and play therapy as effective means to working with his clients.
He has his Bachelors in Social Work from the University of Wisconsin Whitewater and his Masters in Social Work from George Williams College of Aurora University.
Richard's other love is spending time with his family, His greatest pride and joy are his two lovely daughters Abigail and Hazel.
Tia Cobb, LPC
Tia is a licensed professional counselor whose passion is supporting her clients on their life journey. She focuses on highlighting her clients’ strengths while acknowledging and building upon challenging areas. She recognizes that therapy is a collaborative effort and exercises compassion in their journey together. Tia utilizes her strong background in both Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT) to help clients achieve better coping strategies in life. Tia graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Psychology from Loyola University Chicago and holds a Masters of Education in Counseling degree from DePaul University. Tia has had a range of experience working with children, adolescents, and adults at different levels of care. Tia is a National Board Certified Counselor and will take the exam for her LCPC license in fall.
Janay Fuentes, LSW
Janay Fuentes joined BYFS as a bilingual therapist in June of 2024. Janay holds a Bachelor of Arts in Clinical Psychology from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. She graduated with her Masters in Social Work in 2024 from the University of Illinois Chicago. She has experience in working with adolescents, children, and their parents. She is dedicated to nurturing the emotional well-being of children and supporting their families. Fluent in both English and Spanish, she actively collaborates with parents and caregivers to foster resilience and strengthen family relationships.
Her passion for helping others led her to specialize in cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) and a combination of play therapy with family systems theory to emphasize a holistic approach to childhood development and familial dynamics. Janay is dedicated to creating a safe and supportive environment where children can explore their emotions and learn coping skills.
Monica Messina, LPC
Monica is a Licensed Professional Counselor who graduated with her Masters in Clinical Mental Health Counseling in 2017 and is a member of the American Counseling Association. She promises respect, empathy and unwavering support for all people who walk through the door. Although Monica uses an integrative approach to counseling, she relies heavily on Solution-Focused Therapy, helping clients change by constructing solutions rather than focusing on problems. Her favorite part of the therapeutic process is having them leave feeling more capable and fulfilled in their own lives.
Monica began her career counseling mothers overcoming addiction. Outside of Barrington Youth and Family Services, Monica currently facilitates groups with children and teens struggling with severe aggression and depression. She is always looking for the newest strategies to help facilitate positive change.
Monica enjoys learning, whether it's a new song on the piano or new theories on narcissistic abuse. She is currently training to become an ADHD Clinical Services provider.
Elisa Tessier, LCSW
Elisa is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with more than 20 years of experience working with children and their parents. She enjoys developing a therapeutic relationship with parents to further develop their relationship with their children. In order to support the child, she strives to be a consistent partner with parents to explore effective communication styles that promotes positive behaviors from their children. She incorporates an empathetic and collaborative approach in therapy, walking alongside clients on their personal journey. Elisa works to build productive relationships with families, children, school districts, doctors, churches, and community agencies, focusing on providing the best environment for her clients to thrive. As a professional, passionate and caring advocate, Elisa facilitates and supports awareness and connection among stakeholders to develop successful strategies, meet mutual goals, and provide better outcomes. She strongly believes in working collaboratively, as partners, which allows learning from one another for the benefit of her clients.
Mitchell Lambert, Intern
Mitchell is currently working towards his Masters degree in Clinical Psychology from
Pepperdine University and will be graduating in May 2025. He has 10+ years of medical
experience working as a Hospital Corpsman in the United States Navy. He has worked
with both Children and Adults with a focus in Anxiety, PTSD, and individual therapy.
Mitchell takes a Humanistic and Existential approach to therapy, he works with clients to
develop healthy habits, coping mechanisms, and mindfulness. He encourages his
patients to utilize meditation, CBT, and DBT skills to create positive changes in their
lives. As well as working as an intern he is also currently on Active Duty in the Navy as
a medical instructor. Mitchell loves to spend his free time with his wife and three children whenever he has the opportunity.
MEET OUR STAFF
Betsy Wintringer, Executive Director
As a parent and lifelong Barrington community member, I see incredible importance in the mission of BYFS. As a nonprofit professional, the opportunity to work alongside community leaders and board members to help shape the vision of this great organization and the impact it will have on our families and community is exciting. I am honored to be trusted with this role.
My professional experience includes nonprofit management and marketing and communications for multiple professional societies and volunteer-run organizations; corporate sales and marketing, and social work in group home settings.
I am a mom to two wonderful children, Ellie (17) and Harry (12), married to a fabulous man (Harry) and owner of two happy hounds.
Please feel free to reach out if I can be of assistance. I look forward to meeting many of you out in the community!
Anne Baumfeld, Director of Special Projects
Anne is BYFS' Director of Special projects where she delivers project management, strategic planning and implementation support for key organizational initiatives.
Along with a passion for service and community, Anne brings considerable experience and expertise to the role, having held several leadership and development roles at domestic and international non-profit organizations before joining BYFS in April 2018. She also served as Treasurer of BYFS' Auxiliary Board from 2016-2018.
Anne holds a Bachelor's degree in Business Administration from the University of Notre Dame and a Master's degree in Public Administration from New York University. She lives in Barrington with her husband, three children and two terriers.
Milan Myers, MPH, CHES Operations Manager
Milan is a public health analyst and a Certified Health Education Specialist serving BYFS as the Operations Manager, where she ensures we are providing the safest and highest quality mental health care for our clients. She collaborates with internal and external teams to review and streamline organizational policies, increase the ease and efficiency of client processes, and maintain a healthy and productive environment at BYFS.
Milan has a passion for increasing the quality and accessibility of mental health support for marginalized and disempowered communities. She has a balance of leading direct therapeutic care, designing educational health programs, and implementing policies to support healing and positive changes in individuals, families, and communities facing physical and mental health disparities.
Being in nature is a daily and joyful part of Milan's life, whether through gardening, bird watching, or hiking with her German Shepherd puppy! She also enjoys reading, cooking, and spending time with her family. She is a yoga teacher and provides trauma-informed meditation and mindfulness programs within Chicago Public Schools to share the importance of self-care and emotional well-being with students facing environmental and societal stressors.
Kiran Birdi, Office Manager
Kiran joined BYFS in November of 2018 and brings with her over a decade of customer service experience as well as several years of management experience working as a Practice Manager at a psychiatrist’s office here in Barrington.
Kiran oversees office operations and is committed to making our patients', and their families', experience at BYFS a positive one. She encourages a work environment that provides excellent customer service to clients, outside professionals as well as internal clinicians with her positive attitude and friendly demeanor.
Born and raised in England UK, Kiran graduated from the University of Wolverhampton with a Bachelor’s degree in Law. She moved to the US in 1999 and resides in the Northwest Suburbs with her husband, daughter, and two sons.